NEWLY-CROWNED Gdynia Open champion Shaun Murphy was delighted his efforts at the practise table were finally rewarded as he ended a two-and-a-half-year wait for silverware.

The 2005 world champion ended months and months of pain on Sunday by defeating Fergal O’Brien 4-1 to lift the final European Tour title of the season.

It was Murphy’s first title since lifting the Brazilian Masters in the summer of 2011.

And Murphy throughout showed some of his best form – hitting his third career 147 maximum in his last 16 win over Jamie Jones, en route to winning the trophy.

Speaking after the final in Poland, Murphy said his confidence had been  affected by not winning silverware for so long and because of that arrived to Gdynia not expecting much.

“I came here with low hopes because I hadn’t won a tournament for so long,” he said.

“I have been practising really hard and working on my game and it’s just nice to bring that form to the match table.

“My coach and my manager kept telling me to keep going and eventually the title would come, thankfully they were right.”